The
eurofootballfives.com tour hit Budapest for the
sixth time with 12 teams assembled to stake their
claim for glory in Hungary.
The
first two challengers to get us underway in Group
A on Pitch A this year would be an all-Hungarian
contest of Budapest Celtic Greens (Hun) versus
Vilag Valogatott (Hun).
Budapest
Celtic entered the eurofootballfives.com fold
in 2011 on home soil and have also been ever-present
since. In 2011 Budapest Fives they entered two
squads – the most successful of their teams (the
“Tigers” squad) lost on penalties in the Cup Final.
They made a bid for glory at the 2012 Barcelona
Fives and 2012 Budapest Fives. In Barcelona they
had 2 teams reach the Cup Semi-Finals but both
the Lions and Pumas squads missed out on the Final
on penalties and Golden Goal respectively. In
Budapest they came very close again with the Tigers
squad getting to the Cup Final but again settling
for Runners-Up medals as Romania's ABC United
took the winning trophy.
The
2013 Budapest Fives wasn't too successful with
all 3 of their teams crashing out in the QFs (1
Plate, 2 Cup) but success wasn't too far away
as they claimed their maiden title in the 2013
Krakow Trophy! In 2014 they competed in three
tournaments (Valencia, Budapest and Bratislava).
In Valencia the team was on a stag weekend but
reached a Plate Final, going down 4-1 to Saipan
FC. In Budapest 2014 they had two teams reach
the Cup QF (they drew each other). The Lions squad
progressed but was knocked out by CIS Committee
in the Semi-Finals. There was a second Plate Final
appearance of the season but it was a second Runners-Up
finish as the Pumas lost the Final 3-2 to FC Radbroke.
They took 2 squads to the 2014 Bratislava Fives
with the Lions and Tigers finishing 3rd and 4th
in their groups to both qualify for the Plate.
There was to be a third Plate Final of the season
as the Lions squad reached the Final. They got
closer to victory taking the game to penalites
but it was a third Runners-Up finish as GSF Drunkerz
took the trophy.
Last
year they had 3 teams in the draw - Lions, Tigers,
Pumas. The Lions qualified for the Cup and went
out narrowly, 1-0, to then champions CIS Committee.
The Pumas exited at the Plate QF stage with the
Tigers going on to reach the Plate Final but collected
Runners-Up medals again – this time to Naranjitos
of Spain.
In
contrast to Budapest Celtic's vast experience,
Vilag Valogatott were on debut but it was they
who lead through Ihigo Aguirreburualde in the
first half. Budapest Celtic Greens staged a comeback
in the second half as goals from Levente Kovacs
and Nate Hajunder won it for them, 2-1. |
